Fish-slimer.



H. P. LAMOREAUX.

FISH SLIMBR.

APPLIGATION FILED 001220, 191s.

1,1.1 6,082. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

H. P. LAMOREAUX.

FISH SLIMER.

APPLICATION FILED 001220, 1913 1*,1 1 6,082. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WQ@ w H. P. LAMORBAUX.

FISH SLIMER.

APPLICATION FILED ooT.2o, 1913.

1 1 1 6,082., Patented Nov. 3, 1914 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3. EME-:1 5

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HOWARD-1. LAMOREAUX, OF MARIETTA., WASHINGTON.

FISH-sumen.

SpecificationI of Lettera Patent.

Patented Nov. 3 1914.

Application :llled October 20, 1913. Serial No. 796,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known tiat I, HOWARD P. LAMO- nnAUx, a citizen of the United States, residingat Marietta, in the county of Whatcom and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish- Sliiners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for dressing fish and the like, and more especially to fish which are covered with slime; and the object of the invention is to produce a machine which will cut open and dress the fish by removing the entrails and will simultaneously brush and Wash the slime from the outside of the fish so that when it passes out the rear end of the machine it is in condition for the canning process. In this and in several sections of the country fish of this kind are gathered in large quantities and brought to the Cannery, and the general purpose of this machine is to prepare them for canning by machinery rather than by hand. A feature of the invention is the adjustability of its brushes so as to adapt it to different kinds of fish of different sizes or to the saine kind of fish at dierent times of the year before or after they have attained their full growth. It is contemplated although it is not herein illustrated, that the upright brushes shown in the drawings could be replaced by others having stiffer bristlesperhaps of wire or even of rods-so that certain kinds of fish could be scaled by the machine. Details of the latter will be found in the following specification and are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a plan view of the machine complete, Fig. 2 is a left side elevation, Fig. 3 a central longitudinal sectional View, and Fig. 4 a right side elevation; and Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sections on the lines 5 5 and 6 6 respectively of Fig. 2.

The frame l of this machine is mounted on suitable legs 2 which by preference :tand on a slatted floor or over a proper receptacle into which the slime and Water are collected, but if the machine be placed in perhaps that portion of the Cannery which extends out over the water and the floor slatted, the refuse will run through the Hoor without further attention. The proportions and materials of the parts of the frame are not essential to the invention, but by preference Athe power shaft 3 is mounted across one end,

and power is alpplied to a pulle 4 thereon from any suita le source. On t iis shaft at the transverse center of the frame is a drum 5 which is connected with a similar drum 6 mounted on an idle shaft 7 at the rear end of the frame, by an endless belt 8 traveling over idlers 9 so that the upper stretch thereof will be held substantially horizontal. Alongside the drums 5 and 6 are airs of sprocket wheels 10 and 11 connecte respectively by chains l2 whereof each link has a finger or projection 13 on its inner face and inclined in the direction of movement of the upper stretch of the chain; and these chains pass between upright rollers 14 near the sprocket Wheels so that the chains are borne inward toward the edges of the belt 8 and Atravel with the same and at the same speed throughout the length of verging again from said edges at the rear end of the machine as seen in Fig. 1.

Just in rear of the for-.ward pair of rollers 14 the frame carries an upright knife 20 whose body has forwardly convergent wings 2l 1n rear of its cutting edge as best seen in Figs. l and 6 and whose shank .is pivoted at 22 to a suitable support on the frame while its upper end is drawn normally to the rear by a spring 23, the support having a slot 24 which limits the movement of the knife under the impulse of said spring. The knife normally stands upright as seen in Fig. 3

the machine, di-

`with its shank against the front end of the slot and its cutting edge 25 depending to a point about opposite the fingered or toothed chains 12 as seen in Fig. 6. If, however, it is desired to adjust the height of the lower end of the cutting edge, the pivot 22 may be formed in the shape of a bolt as illustrated in this view, and the support may be slotted as shown at 26, so that by loosening the nut 27 the bolt and therefore the entire knife can be set higher or lower, after which the nut is tightened to hold the parts in adjusted position. The spring 23 need not be adjusted as the movement of the shank of the knife is slight during such adjustment.

If an obstruction should strike the cutting edge of the knife, its shank rocks on the pivot bolt 22 as the rear end of the slot 24 will permit. y The side bars of the frame l carry U- shaped brackets 30 at intervals (see Fig. `3) and the lower arm of each bracket has in a manner already described. While I have shown my preferred form of power shaft and connections between it and the various shaftsv which actuate the several cleaning brushes, I do not wish to be limited in this respect, nor is it absolutely necessary that there be five horizontal rollers nor five pairs of upright brushes, as the machine may be amplified to a considerable extent if desired. Furthermore, while I have described my invention in detail, it will be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the constructions of the various parts, as deviations will haveto be made in some respects which will not affect the main features of the machine or in any way mar its efliciency. And furthermore it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportions and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What is'claimed as new is:

1. In a fish slimer, the combination with means for carrying the fish through the machine in an upright position; of a series of pairs of brushes mounted on .vertical axes, means for rotating them to remove the slime from the exterior of the fish, a knife at the front end of the machine for opening the fish, and a series of brushes mounted on horizontal axes and disposed between the pairs of upright brushes for removing the entrails of the fish, said horizontal brushes rotating alternately in reverse directions, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fish slimer, the combination with means for carrying the fish through the machine in an upright position, and a knife at the front end of the machine for opening the fish; of a series of pairs of uprightv brushes located on opposite sides of the path followed by the fish and rotating alternately in reverse directions, and an independent series of brushes mounted on horizontal axes and rotated alternately in reverse directions, all as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for sliming fish, the combination with the frame, transverse shafts at the ends of the frame, a drum on each shaft and a pair of sprocket wheels also thereon remote from the ends of the drum, a belt connecting the drums, two chains connecting the respective sprocket wheels, each link of each chain having an inwardly projecting finger, a pair of upright rollers near each shaft pressing the chains toward the edges of said belt, idlers for supporting the upper stretch of the belt, and means for rotating one of said shafts; of a knife for opening the fish as it is carried forward by said belt and chains, and means in rear of the knife for cleaning the fish.

4. In a machine for sliming fish, the combination with a frame, transverse shafts at i the ends of the frame, a drum on each shaft and a pair of sprocket wheelsalso thereon remote from the ends of the drum, a belt connecting the drums, two chains connecting the respective sprocket wheels, each link of each chain having an inwardly projecting .stub shafts are removably mounted, and

means for driving one shaft and moving the belt and chains in unison; of a knife for opening the fish as it is carried forward by said belt and chain, and means for brushing the'interior and exterior of the fish during its passage throughoutl the length of the machine.

5. In a machine ofthe class described, the combination with ay frame, a series of U-shaped brackets secured to the side bars thereof and having slots in their horizontal arms, the inner ends of the lower arms being upturned and provided with notches, a series of idlers having stub shafts removably mounted in said notches, and a fish-carrying belt moving throughout the length of the machine with its upper stretch passing over said idlers and between said brackets; of bars overlying the arms of said brackets and having bearings, bolts through said bars and slots whereby the former are adjustably mounted on the brackets, upright shafts journaled in said bearings, upright brushes whose hubs are mounted on said shafts and whose bristles clean the outside of the fish, and means for rotating said shafts.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame, a series of brackets secured to the side bars of said frame and a fish carrying member moving through the length of the machine with its upper reach disposed between said brackets; of a plurality of bars adjustably connected to said brackets and projectinginwardly to points adjacent said fish carrying member,

shafts mounted for rotation between said bars on each side of said carrying member, upright brushes mounted on said shafts to rotate therewith, whereby to clean the fish carried by said member moving through the frame, and means in connection with the upper ends of said shafts on each side of the aforesaid carrying member for rotating the same alternately in reverse directions.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame, a series of U-shaped brackets secured to the side bars thereof and having slots in their horizontal arms, and a fish carrying belt moving throughout the length of the machine with intese shafts, uprights rising from the uppermost bars, a drive'shaft extending throiuI h all of the uprights yand having a series o beveled gears engaging those on the shafts, and means for rotating said drive shaft.

8. In a machine of the (blassy described, the combination with a frame, a series vof U-shaned brackets Secured to the side bars therein and having slots in their horizontal arms, the inner ends of the lower arms being upt-urned and provided lwith notches, a

series of idlers having stub shafts removably mounted in said notches, and :irish-carrying belt moving throughout the length of the machine with its upper stretch Eassi'ng over said idlers and between said bars overlying the arms of said brackets and having bearings, bolts through said bars and slots whereby the ormer are ad'- justably mounted on' the brackets, upright shafts journaled in said bearings, 'upright brushes Whose hubs are mounted on said shafts and Whose bristles clean .the outside of the ish, beveled gears onv the .upper ends o'f said shafts,'bearings carried by the uppermost bars of all the brackets, drive shafts journaled in said bearings', and beveled driving gears on these shafts engaging the beveled ears on the uprightsha s and rotating t 1e latter alternately in opposite directions, for the purpose set forth. 9. In a machine of the class described,

the combination with a frame', a series'ofl rackets; ofy

U-.shaped brackets secured to the side bars theren,'a11"d xa fish-carrying belt lnovini,1 throughoutthe length ofthe machine wit 1 its* upperv stretch passing between said bracketsof bars 'overlying the arms of said' brackets and having bearings, bolts through sai bars and arms whereby the formerv are adjustably lmounted on the brackets, up-

right shafts journaled in said bearings, up `right brushes whosehubs are mounted on ,said shafts and whose bristles clean the out-l 1 side of the iish, beveled gears on the upper ends of said shafts, bearings carried by the uppermost bars of all brackets, driveshafts Vjournaled in said bearings, and beveled driving gears 'on these shafts engaging the bevieled gears on the upright shafts and rotat? ingl the latter alternately in opposite direc# tions, for the purpose fset forth.

10. lin a fish dressing machine, the conlbiriation with mechanism for supporting the fish in a horizontal position and carrying it through the machine; of a transverse sup 4port mounted' on the machine-frame and having a longitudinal slot above said carrying mechanism, a knife Whose shank 'projects loosely through said 4slot and Whose cutting edge stands below the same, a pivot between the shank and support at a oint above the slot, a spring holding the With its cutting edge in substantially up right position, and divergent Wingsin rear of said cutting edge, for the purpose' set forth.

in testimony whereof li have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HOWARD P. Landesamt.

`Witnesses2 n WILLIAM G.. KrERs'rnAn, Sanluri L.. CARR.

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